This is one of those so easy-to-eat, can’t-get-enough pasta dishes we all love to make. And this tuna pasta is not just creamy, it’s cheesy, tomatoey AND it cooks in just one pan! It’s also a go-to for weeknights as it can be on the table in 30 minutes.
If you have a toddler, weaning baby or fussy eater and are wondering how to adapt this recipe for your family, see here >
The Stars of my One Pan Creamy Tuna Pasta
The Tuna
In the UK, you’ll commonly find tins of 145g of tuna and you’ll need two of these for this recipe. I always go for tuna in spring water, but brine or oil will be fine too.
When you go to buy your tinned tuna, check the label and make sure it says it’s been certified sustainable, one by one pole & line caught or responsibly sourced as this means it’s been sourced in the most environmentally sustainable way.
The Tomatoes
We are just going to need one tin of chopped tomatoes for this one-pot pasta. If you have tomato haters in the family, you can opt for crushed tomatoes or even passata (tomato puree US). If you do use passata, allow a little extra time for the pasta to absorb all the liquid.
The Pasta
Several shapes of pasta would work for this One Pan Creamy Tuna Pasta. I would recommend fusilli, rotini, penne or rigatoni.
The Cheese
We’ll need a bag of grated mozzarella to transform this pasta dish into a stringy, perfectly cheesy bowl of joy. You’ll stir it through just before serving.
The Créme Fraîche
You’ll need a pot of créme fraîche to make this tuna pasta one pot dreamily creamy. You can use a 50% reduce fat version if you prefer that to full fat.
Making my One Pan Creamy Tuna Pasta
Watch me make my One Pan Creamy Tuna Pasta step-by-step here, before or as you cook.
FAQ’s For My One Pan Creamy Tuna Pasta
Can I prepare the ingredients in advance?
With prep time being only five minutes, you don’t really need to prep in advance. But if you like you could slice the onion and measure the other ingredients into prep bowls and store, covered, in the fridge.
Can I feed more people with this recipe?
Yes definitely! You can double this recipe so long as you have an extra large saucepan.
How can younger children help make it?
They can help measure out the pasta, créme fraîche and mozzarella .
What diets is this recipe suitable for?
My One Pan Creamy Tuna Pasta doesn’t contain any nuts or egg. It is not suitable for people with diary or gluten allergies.
Can I Store One Pan Creamy Tuna Pasta leftovers?
You can store any One Pan Creamy Tuna Pasta leftovers in an air-tight container or resealable food bag in the fridge for up to 3 days (cook day + 2). You can also freeze them, just defrost for 24 hours in the fridge and reheat in the microwave, stirring halfway, until steaming hot all the way through. I recommend adding in just a little water before you microwave it.
For more on safe food storage and reheating read here >
Adapting My One Pan Creamy Tuna Pasta For Your Family
Eating together is beneficial for families of all ages and stages, for a multitude of reasons; nutritional, behavioural, psychological and for healthy family functioning. This section will show you how to tweak this One Pan Creamy Tuna Pasta recipe for sharing with a weaning baby, toddler or a fussy eater, which will help make it easier to eat together as a family.
Keeping Picky Eaters Happy
If you have a fussy eater who won’t eat chunks of tomato, you can eliminate these by using finely chopped or crushed tomatoes instead. You can also use passata instead to go completely lump free. You will need to adjust the cook time of the pasta slightly, it will need a little longer to absorb the liquid.
See more from me on fussy eaters here >
Making My One Pan Creamy Tuna Pasta Suitable for Baby Weaning
Go for a pasta shape that younger babies can palm like penne or rigatoni. Hold back on the salt until you’ve removed their serving, then you can add it and stir it through. Melted mozzarella will be challenging for younger babies so it’s best to remove their serving before adding it.
Note: there is conflicting advice on giving infants tinned tuna because of the mercury levels, however in the UK there is no current advice on how much tuna is safe for them to eat. Because of that I would recommend giving tinned tuna no more than once a week.
I’ve also added these notes to the bottom of the recipe so you have them to hand when you come to cook. For more info on how I keep my family meals suitable for baby weaning, read here >
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ONE PAN CREAMY TUNA PASTA
Equipment
- Large saucepan + cooking spoon
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion thinly sliced
- 1 litre hot water
- 400 g can chopped tomatoes
- Pinch of sugar
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 350 g pasta
- 290 g tinned tuna (2 x 145g cans) drained and flaked
- 150 g créme fraîche
- 200 g grated mozzarella (shredded US)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium-low heat. Add the onions and fry for 6-8 minutes, until soft.
- Add the hot water, chopped tomatoes, salt & pepper plus pinch of sugar. Increase the heat to high and add in the pasta. Give it a good stir. Bring to the boil, decrease the heat to medium and continue to cook on a rolling boil for around 14 minutes, stirring regularly, until pasta is tender and almost all the liquid has been absorbed.
- Remove from the heat, flake in the tuna and add in the créme fraîche. Stir well to combine, then stir through the mozzarella.
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